Title
Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry & Dept. of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences

PhD
Northeastern Ohio COM, Kent State University

Major Interests
The role of sleep in cognitive function in health and disease, neurodynamics, and brain functional connectivity

Research Interests
My laboratory is interested in better understanding the dynamic neural network re-configurations that occur as the brain changes its state under both normal conditions such as sleep, and in abnormal conditions such as induced shifts in conscious awareness (anesthesia) or pathological shifts in cognitive awareness (fluctuating consciousness, sleep parasomnias and neurodegenerative disease states). We have developed the use of simultaneous acquisition of electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to help us better understand these shifts in network connectivity and function as the brain shifts state over the course of 24 hours. As part of the Human Connectome Project, my laboratory worked with a large international team to define the connection patterns in normal adult human subjects using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and fMRI methodologies. The connectomics approach to analysis of large, multi-modal datasets is one my laboratory is actively pursuing to better understand the role of behavioral and neural state on function across the lifespan. I am actively involved in mentoring and mentorship programs and have mentored research professionals at all levels, from high school through early faculty. In addition, I have provided formal mentorship training to both mentors and mentees through workshops and invited lectures. I believe strongly that developing strong and proactive mentorship programs early in professional training will aid students in achieving optimal performance levels throughout their careers.